Koushani Mukhopadhayay Zanjeen decodes her character Lata in Dainee
Portraying Lata, who was wrongfully framed as a witch, in Nirjhar Mitra's web show Dainee, which is currently streaming on Hoichoi, was not an easy task. But the young and dynamic Koushani Mukhopadhyay Zanjeen made sure that her character Lata is so believable that audiences feel a fist-clenching helplessness creeping up, and realise, how superstitions still act as a façade for underlying crime. We speak with her to know what went into bringing the character to life. Excerpts:
Koushani Mukhopadhyay Zanjeen in Dainee
What was your procedure of transforming, from Koushani to Lata?
I had received a part of the script for the audition. The part where Lata is beaten up, she is bleeding from her head, but sits up and sings Megher Kole Rod Hesheche, when she hears her husband Santosh has passed away. I had created a backstory that probably someone got lost or someone has died, with which she relates the song. And to my surprise, this is what the backstory was in the show as well. So, it felt nice that Nirjhar and I was in the same plane.
After I received the whole script, the director shared a lot of documentaries, news articles on the superstitions around witch-hunting which helped me portray the feeling of the victim, who goes through this whole thing. Apart from that, for a younger Lata, and other scenes, I made up a linear story in my mind, (since the script is non-linear).
Characters like these often becomes traumatic or stressful for the actor. How did you cope up on that note?
The hospital and violent sequences were shot on the first 7-8 days of our schedule. We may not hear specifically about witch-hunting incidents in the city, but there are other n-number of traumatic incidents that we keep hearing about around us. And all of these have helped to prepare myself mentally.
After the first 3-4 days of shoot, it kind of became a little pressurising. I'm in that make-up, the attacking sequences are getting shot, and thinking about the situation and script over and over again, somehow felt disturbing after a point. I realised, if I was present there, even if not as the victim, but just as a person, who is seeing these things happening in front of her, I don't think I would have been helped to make the situation right. But post the shooting schedule, I had a few days of free time, and I kept myself busy doing my favourite things to come out of it.
How long was the shooting schedule? How did you bond with your co-actors?
I think it was a total of 16 days, I had a schedule for 11-12 days.
Even before I got to know my co-actors, I met the directorial team, and took 1-2 days to gel with them, and this really helped me during the shoot. I have never spoken to Mimi, Sujit (who played Badsha) before, we met during the shoot, and have spent some time with Anirudhya, who played my lover and then husband, Santosh. I have know Bishu Da, actor Biswajit Das who played Jaan Guru, since a very young age. I have done a few of my early plays with him. There were a few other actors who have a theatre background and at ties, when we did not shoot, we spoke at length with our previous plays. So, it was a very comforting space for me.
Any more projects in the pipeline?
I will start shooting for Kaalratri 2. I wanted to work for the projects like Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) and Roopkala Kendro, and were in talks for many years now. Finally, one collaborative project is happening. Talks are underway for a few films, but I cannot reveal it right now, since they are not yet confirmed.
What kind of characters are you comfortable playing, and what do you find challenging?
Honestly, I don't have that much screen experience where I can say that I can choose the characters I am offered. Since I am very new to this mode of acting, screen itself id the challenge for me, right now. Playing any character on screen is challenging for me, but if I find that the character I am playing is not relevant to the plot, or is very superficial, then probably I will skip that.
You are a member of theatre groups- Belgharia Abhimukh and Tollygunge Sansaptak. What is happening on that front?
I have been doing a play called Kojagori for a very long time. Along with that doing a new piece called Nari-gon. Last year, I directed a small play based on women's narrative, called Baki Kotha, and my plan is to do bigger shows in Kolkata this year.
